by Jimmy Hascup, USA TODAY Sports

by Jimmy Hascup, USA TODAY Sports

Just imagine a book authored by Dennis Rodman being read to children during "story time" at a local library.

It's a scene that could soon become a reality in a library near you.

On Wednesday, the basketball Hall of Famer's children's book, "Dennis The Wild Bull," was released, and Rodman's influence is noticeable right off the bat. The cover is basically Rodman, only in bull (how clever!) form, as it shows a large red bull with red hair, two nose rings, a tattoo and red stubble under his chin.

"They'll see me, literally see me. They'll say, 'Wow, this is just like him,'" said Rodman, a member of the Bulls for three seasons.

Rodman, of course, is one of the craziest personalities the NBA has ever seen, and he's never hidden from the spotlight. There's the dozens of on-court altercations. The run-ins with the law. The time he showed up at New York bookstore to promote one of his other books in a wedding dress and wig and said he was marrying himself. The nine-day marriage to Carmen Electra and fling with Madonna. The wild nights after games. And last, but certainly not least, his fashion "statements."

There's never a dull moment in the five-time champion's life. And now the 51-year-old has a message for today's youth.

"More than anything, I just want little kids today just to understand, ain't no matter what you do in life, be different, rich or poor man, guess what, it's OK to be who you are pretty much and you'll be accepted," Rodman said.

"Dennis The Wild Bull" is a story about Dennis, a bull who was captured from his family, then thrust into a rodeo and forced to live with the other bulls.

Dennis doesn't look anything like the rest, but they eventually accept him and all become friends.

"Once I got to know the other bulls, I liked them," Rodman said. "I enjoyed their company and stuff like that, and they accepted me for who I am no matter how I look."

The ending was supposed to feature Dennis escaping and returning to his family without his friends, but Rodman didn't like that and made sure it wrapped up with the bulls following along.

Can't get enough of this heart-warming story of friendship, loyalty and family? Rodman, who was recently ordered to pay back $500,000 in child support to his ex-wife last month, says two of his children are also pictured on the book's cover.

''For a guy like me to be very eccentric, to even go to extremes to write a children's book with all the wild things I do and make it believable was pretty much incredible,'' Rodman said.